Encanto star Stephanie Beatriz, who voices the powerless member of the Madrigal family, Mirabel, recorded the emotionally driven song “Waiting On A Miracle” while she was in labor with her first child. While Beatriz’s career has found her primarily on television, such as in her starring role on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as appearances on shows like Modern Family, Southland, and The Closer, she’s no stranger to the world of animation voice acting. Besides Encanto, Beatriz has proved voices for films like The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Ice Age: Collision Course, and Catwoman: Hunted.
She’s also well-versed in the work of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music for Encanto. Beatriz not only starred as Carla in the film adaptation of Miranda’s hit Broadway musical In the Heights, she also auditioned for Encanto with the song “You’re Welcome” from Moana, which was also written by Miranda. Considering how beloved Encanto has become in a short time, it's clear Beatriz was the perfect person to center the film as Mirabel.
Beatriz found she harnessed a different type of energy than what's seen elsewhere in the film when recording the song “Waiting On A Miracle." In an interview with Variety, the actress stated that she realized she was in labor on the day of the scheduled recording:
I didn’t want to tell anybody at Disney because I didn’t want anyone to freak out. But I was already having some contractions when we were scheduled to record that day. I was like ‘Well, fingers crossed I finish the song before [the baby] comes!’
Beatriz not only successfully recorded a very powerful rendition of “Waiting On A Miracle,” but she ended up delivering her baby the following day. Co-director Byron Howard stated that while they knew Beatriz was “very, very, very, very ready” to have the baby at that point, they were not aware just how close she was. Miranda also pointed out the irony of Beatriz singing “Waiting On A Miracle” while waiting for her own miracle.
Beatriz's voice is heard on several songs on Encanto's soundtrack, and she leads some of them herself as Mirabel, including "Waiting On A Miracle." Her impressive performance is a significant part of the film’s incredible success. "Waiting On A Miracle" is one of the movie's more emotional songs, sung while Mirabel is frustrated by her lack of powers, making it even more astounding that Beatriz recorded it under pressure. The Encanto soundtrack has received several accolades, including two Academy Award nominations. Though those behind the film won't know the outcome of the nominations until the Oscars ceremony in late March, regardless of the result, it won't take away from Beatriz's commitment to her role in Encanto.